title: Severe Clostridium difficile-associated colitis in young patients with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: We report four patients with cystic fibrosis and fulminant Clostridium difficile-associated colitis: two died, and one required hemicolectomy. Three of four patients carried the N1303K mutation. Severe and fatal C. difficile colitis can occur in cystic fibrosis patients, possibly with a genotype-specific predilection (i.e., N1303K/other). Because cystic fibrosis patients may have a wide spectrum of gastrointestinal symptoms, disease caused by C. difficile must be considered when these patients have acute abdominal pain, diarrhea, or severe leukocytosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rivlin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Augarten
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilschanski
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kerem
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ephros
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation